FRAMINGHAM -- A man convicted of murder in his native Brazil faces deportation
after federal immigration officers this week arrested him in his Waverley
Street apartment.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers arrested Joao Gabriel Pereira
Da Silva, 51, Tuesday night in his 582 Waverley St. apartment. He is
being held without bond and will appear before a federal immigration judge.

According to the federal government, Da Silva was living illegally in the
United States for years after he fled Brazil following his 1998 murder
conviction there.

A spokesman for Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Boston office did not
know yesterday how long Da Silva was living in Framingham or why he came
here. He had been sentenced to 20 to 30 years for the killing, which
stemmed from an unpaid debt, the government said.

"We received information about his whereabouts, and he was arrested Tuesday
without incident," spokeswoman Paula Grenier said.

It was not clear how long deportation proceedings may last. A spokesman
for the Executive Office for Immigration Review said it may be six months
to complete the hearing if Da Silva opposes deportation. He can also
appeal the decision.

"Most of them fight it," said spokeswoman Susan Eastwood.

When they nabbed Da Silva, immigration officers also arrested Jose Gomes
Dos Santos in the same apartment. Grenier said Dos Santos is a
Brazilian national who was ordered deported in March.